Jim Avery leads the New Franchise Business Development team at Pizza Hut and is directly responsible for the recruitment of new franchisees into the U.S. Pizza Hut system. He has more than 20 years of experience in the development industry, 15 of which have been within the Yum! family of restaurants in various construction, real estate and franchising positions.

Avery is a member of the International Franchise Association (IFA) and holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive. With his wife, an accomplished franchisee and small business owner, Avery is able to see all sides of a business model and his passion for the franchise industry runs deep. He and his wife reside in Plano, TX.

Jamie Pickel joined Pizza Hut in 2008 and manages franchisee candidate pre-qualification and approval. Pickel obtained her Human Resources degree from the University of Oklahoma and prior to her work with Pizza Hut, worked for Robert Half International as a Recruiting Manager.

With more than four years experience in recruiting and sales, Pickel truly enjoys her job because of her daily interaction with people and the opportunity to build lasting business relationships. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, sports and volunteering for various organizations. She currently resides in Dallas, TX.

Al Litchenburg oversees all company and franchise development functions for Pizza Hut in the U.S. His teams include Strategic Development & Analysis, Real Estate, Construction, Architecture & Engineering, Concept Design and Franchise Development & Recruiting.

Litchenburg is a 20-year veteran of the development industry with more than 16 years of experience at Pizza Hut and Yum! in varying roles of increasing responsibility. He and his family reside in Dallas, TX.

Ed Maurer leads the franchise development function at Pizza Hut and works with the franchisee system to manage existing assets as well as to assist in new unit development. Maurer and his team provide franchisees with an asset toolbox that will help optimize their capital by upgrading their existing assets or growing through new store development. While part of Yum!, Maurer has spent time in both Finance and Development roles. He currently resides in Dallas, TX.

Charles Mills joined the Pizza Hut team more than 10 years ago and has held various development positions in the company, including Architectural Project Manager, Construction Manager and Real Estate Manager. Since 2007, he has led the Architecture and Construction functions for the brand, overseeing the design and execution of all domestic corporate development projects. Additionally, Mills’ architectural support team assists Pizza Hut franchisees in development, from reviewing proposed site plans to space planning guidance and aesthetic direction.

After receiving his Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Arkansas, Mills held increasingly development-focused roles until arriving at Pizza Hut in 1999. With his diverse background and passion for the business, Mills offers franchisees the support and expertise to develop effectively and grow their business. Mills has three children and lives in Grapevine, TX.

Greg Coke works with franchisees to assist in their new unit development and existing asset strategy and planning. Since joining Pizza Hut in 2004, he has held roles in Finance and Development. He most recently served as a Real Estate Manager, generating new and replacement restaurant openings through trade area identification, site selection, and deal and lease negotiations. Greg resides in Dallas, Texas.

Rudy Janecka, with over 30 years of retail and food service development experience including design, construction and real estate, works with the franchise system to assist in new unit development for both new and existing franchisees. He began his Yum! Brands career over seven years ago with Pizza Hut and the A&E team before moving into a real estate position in various markets across the US and ultimately into his current Franchise position. He currently resides in Fort Worth, TX.

Jess Hepler brings extensive experience to the franchise field development role with 19 years in the Pizza Hut system. He is a former Director of Real Estate and Construction for the Northeast, Real Estate Manager, Market Planner, Franchise Development Director, and Franchise Business Coach. He has touched all aspects of operating great restaurants from ringing the cash register in corporate operations, developing asset strategy as a market planner, finding and building great sites as a developer and supporting ongoing license and franchise operations in field support.

Jess earned his MBA from Brigham Young University. He and his wife, Signe, reside in New Hampshire with their five children.

Murray joined Pizza Hut’s Franchise Development team in 2012. He assists existing and new franchisees with their development strategies for new and existing assets in the Northeast. He currently resides in Edgewater, New Jersey.

Robert Para has over 18 years of experience with Pizza Hut on both the Franchise and Corporate side of the business. Robert worked his way up through the system in the field holding positions of RGM and Area Coach in various trade areas. He was promoted to a Restaurant Readiness Coach where he gained valuable experience working with cross-functional teams at the Pizza Hut, Inc. Restaurant Support Center in Dallas, TX on different projects ensuring 100% field ready materials were offered to the field. He was then became a Franchise Business Manager where he worked with our franchisee to help them excel in their business. He currently is a senior manager in the Pizza Hut Academy, specializing in on-boarding new franchisees into the system. In his spare time, Robert enjoys spending time with his wife and two children, reading, and following sports.